The new year may bring joy for some, however it's the same old struggle to combat the chill for the poor and homeless in Gurgaon with falling temperatures. Their objective is to survive and breathe and looking at the grieving situation, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has taken certain measures to lend a helping hand to the needy as it is their responsibility to take preventive steps for the poor and vagabonds.

It is not only about providing shelters to the homeless but there are several aspects revolving around the same. There are not too many shelters for the poors in the city. The ones which are there, are even in a worse condition. MCG is responsible to manage and operate these shelters for the homeless in Gurgaon. The authorities seem to be careless about the facilities to be given to the needy.

“All the night shelters in Gurgaon are operated by the MCG and I am sorry to say but they are in a worse condition at present. Night shelters are the need of the hour, however they are not maintained at all by the concerned authorities. The problem lies in the department itself as the responsibility to maintain the shelters and other facilities are given to contractors and honestly, they are not being monitored well by MCG”, said Nisha Singh, MCG Councilor, Ward No. 30.

She further elaborated her statement saying, “The major concern with the the night shelters is sanitation. The condition is getting worse with each passing day passes. There are few shelters in a better condition that also provides food to the poor and people without a roof. The night shelters of Gurgaon are shabby unlike Delhi although I would also like to point out that the number of homless people are more in the capital as compared to Gurgaon."

Nisha Singh informed that looking at the current situation, MCG has taken a cue from AAP and will hire buses from Haryana Roadways which will act as night shelters for the needy. The buses will be painted and renovated at the earliest to help the poor beat the chill this winter.

This step will certainly be a sigh of relief for the people who are finding difficult to survive in the cold. The residents of Gurgaon can also be seen helping the needy by distributing blankets and food. MCG just seems rubberneck the whole situation.